6.

One full year comes complete, and the oddities did not end after the first week of having a newborn in the Allen household nor did it end after the third week. Sure, things were never quite right from the moment a pregnancy began. Neither Bill Allen nor Corinne Allen are anything like what they once were. Communication with one another, if it even still exists, is now rarely verbal and both seem perfectly fine with that.

Things are a little off, more than that things are strange to the point it could easily be thought they each are dealing individually with issues. Still, they manage to function. Their home is run, finances kept in shape, food at home is always fresh and plentiful yet their relationship is nothing like anything that could resemble that of a husband and wife or even that of a father and mother despite the fact they each are well cared for individually and a one-year-old has everything a healthy one year old could need.

That one-year-old may be healthy though she certainly is not ordinary.

The oddities experienced early on and all through the pregnancy, yeah, they did not let up. Corrine's tiredness eased but never completely went away. No matter how she slept or how she rested the tiredness was always there. During Charlotte's first year of life Corrine rarely left the house. She managed to hold and run a business from home which would be a good source of income, this being a good thing with the fact that Bill had been working less than what he had been prior to Charlotte's birth.

The house as a whole remained dark for the most part of that year, curtains being pulled closed and outside light not really hitting the interior of the house when curtains weren't closed. Bill didn't particularly like this, given what has been going on within the house he did think it best for it to remain as dark as it was.

Bill became obsessed, as did Corrine in her own way. With Bill there was something destructive, relentless. Fear is a strange thing. The doubled effect within his daughter, whether it is being created directly by her or by something else, is frightening. Bill himself is not frightened, he is not frightened for his own safety, he is not frightened for the safety of his wife or even for his daughter as he feels all three lives are not in immediate danger ... not immediate, that is the thing.

Until a true nature is revealed there is nothing to fear. No one has been hurt or harmed within that previous year; if danger exists then wouldn't it have revealed itself by now? Charlotte is just a child, a one-year-old; she can't yet differentiate good from bad. If she has a power and if that power can harm others, then it may be years yet before any harm may manifest itself.

That woman however, from that asylum like institution, and what she said to Bill ... 'you've got one too' ... '... a child of Satan ...' and then '... our daughters are sisters don't you know.'

If Bill Allen is to go forwards, he feels he needs to find that other child. How can he possible find the daughter of Lacey Ellis? That facility Lacey Ellis is at, they refuse to let him back in as they also refuse to give him any information. Bill Allen, eleven months after coming into contact with Lacey Ellis has come no closer to finding where that other child may be.

***

Early evening on the twenty third day of March 2000, mere months before he is to become a father, Bill Allen sits at the bar in his hometown's local tavern with his long-time friend Winston Russell. This place is for town locals and only town locals, visitors to this town if and when they arrive into this establishment are quickly dispensed off to one of the other local establishments.

There are signs stating of the desire to be a local's establishment only but since when are notices actually taken notice of and how often are they adhered to when they actually are read? TOILETS FOR CUSTOMERS ONLY being such which is often ignored though with good reason. When ya gotta go, ya gotta go, ... when you have an opportunity to go, you will go rather than stop, acknowledge the sign, turn around and leave.

Winston, if and when he is not working, generally can be found within the walls of the building he feels most at home. He has no wife, no partner and certainly has no children so he is free to spend his own time wherever he likes and indeed he likes that local tavern. At that too, his drinking never interferes with his actual work for if there is no work then there is no money to pay for what he consumes in this place.

On this particular day Bill has been here with Winston for at least a couple of hours when he asks the bartender for yet another round. Winston feels the need to interject which in itself can be thought odd with the regular drinker questioning his buddy's alcohol consumption.

'Shouldn't you be at home with your wife? What is she now, six months along?'

'Yep, on its way to becoming seven my friend, and ever since our delivery was confirmed as being on the way I've become convinced that she hates me ...'

'What? Because you got her pregnant?'

'No, you fool ...' Bill says with a laugh he didn't know he needed until it happened. 'She's just not quite herself, you know?'

'I can't say I do. I have been all alone with Palm and her five sisters for some time now and there is no chance of any of them getting pregnant any time soon.'

This time a laugh is shared. The beers arrive and Bill reaches for cash to pay for them, Winston raises his hand to stop that.

'Alright, alright, I have these, as long as you go home once they are downed.'

'I will ... I promise.'

A few days after little Charlotte has turned one year old, Bill so happens to be back at that very same tavern. Winston predictably is sitting at the bar. It has been fourteen months or so since the two men last sat here together, and Winston is indeed still coming here. Sure, nowhere else would probably have him on such a regular basis.

'Been a while' he says.

'That it has' responds Bill as he moves onto a stool and ordering two drinks.

'So, what has you here this time? Your wife doesn't get out much; shouldn't you be spending your time changing that?'

'How would you know about that ...?'

'Buddy, it's me, your auld mate, Winston.'

'Yeah, yeah, that in itself says it all and well ... she still hates me, probably more now than when she was pregnant', the beers arrive. 'I've got these.'

'Damn right you do. I got the last round.'

'And if you think I am going home after just one drink you are very much mistaken.'

'It's not that bad, is it?'

'You don't know the half of it, do you?' A look is shared between the two and this has Bill quite curious especially with the comments Winston had made about Bill's wife. 'Or perhaps you do. Alright ... spill it.'

***

Five years pass by which time it has been some time since either Bill Allen or Winston Russell has stepped foot in that tavern they so liked to frequent or at least Winston liked to frequent. Winston is on board with Bill and the thoughts and ideas Bill has been having. Bill still shares a home with his wife and daughter and he now has another property too, one with which he shares with Winston.

There is a reason why there is this second property. Bill has found her, the girl he had been looking for and with the way he sees things, there is an opportunity to end it all right here and end it without consequence to his wife or to his daughter. Now that such an opportunity has come, Bill may be having a change of heart. He can't allow conscience or self-doubt to stand up and interfere with what he is planning to do especially when he is fearing what will happen to his own family if he does.

A neighbour, relative neighbour of the second property, is about to pull out of his garden and he has his six-year-old daughter in the back of the car. This is it, no backing out now. Bill tears down the street in his vehicle determined to take out that child. If he destroys the plans of what he is sure is coming then he will free his own daughter and his wife too, this is his logic.

For whatever it is that is coming Bill feels it is centered round his daughter and this other girl. Take one of them out and any previously laid plans will be over and done with, then Bill, his wife and his daughter can go on and have somewhat of a regular life, free from something not at all ... good. It may not be that simple ...

At the last moment Bill attempts to slow his car and turn away, indeed feeling the effects of conscience, still he clips that other car. Lost in his own moment, Bill has stopped his car. A few seconds pass before the driver of the other car goes on the offensive.

'You idiot, you Goddamn idiot' shouts the other car owner, a man of similar build to Bill with the exception of being a couple of inches or so shorter.

'No need for that' speaks Bill unsure as to if he regrets not going through with what he came here to do.

'My daughter is in the car you fool ...'

Two men are on edge, one attempts to be calmer than the other.

'Relax, no one was harmed' says Bill stretching out his left hand towards his neighbour of sorts. His hand is immediately slapped away.

It looks as if this may come to blows but something happens. Something touches Bill's right arm, and his arm goes quite limp as if a punch to his shoulder has taken out all power to his arm, a deadener such a thing is sometimes known. There had been no punch to the shoulder but there indeed was a touch to the arm. The little girl had got out of the car and went unnoticed until she sent Bill's arm to sleep.

The six-year-old, her name is Nancy Ellis and the other man involved in the altercation is Ben Ellis, Nancy's father.